Family & Community Students & Families Learning Support Services
Dropout Reduction:
Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery

State Dropout Reduction Activities

High School Graduation Initiative (MassGrad)

Gateway to College Program Start-Up Support Opportunity: The Department recently released an open solicitation to select three new locations in which to provide start-up funding and technical assistance in order to open a Gateway to College program. This opportunity is supported by the Department's High School Graduation Initiative (MassGrad) project. The Gateway to College program is an early college model that is intended to empower youth who have dropped out of high school or who are not on track to graduate to earn a high school diploma and dual credit in a supportive college environment.

For more details about this opportunity, including eligibility requirements and information about the selection process, please visit the state's procurement website and search for the Gateway to College solicitation: http://www.comm-pass.com. The application deadline is June 10, 2011. Registration for a bidder's conference webinar on May 9th is available here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/?ConferenceID=1105

In fall 2010, the U.S. Department of Education selected Massachusetts as just one of two states for the federal High School Graduation Initiative award and one of 29 projects total nationwide chosen for funding out of 184 total applicants. The Massachusetts grant project (MassGrad) will focus on the 133 high schools throughout the Commonwealth that exceeded the statewide annual dropout rate of 2.9 percent in the 2008-09 school year. Massachusetts will receive $15 million over the next five years through the MassGrad project to support statewide and local efforts for high school dropout prevention, intervention, and recovery. The Department released a press release in early November 2010.

1. Standard Contract Form
2. Supplier Diversity Plan
3. Executive Order 504
4. Terms and Conditions
5. Contractor Authorized Signatory
6. W-9 - Taxpayer ID Number and Certification
7. Participation in the EFT program

Below are materials related to the MassGrad project, including the submission requirements for the competitive grant applications. There are three competitive grant opportunities connected with MassGrad: 1) Implementation Grant, 2) Planning Grant, and 3) Gateway to College model implementation grant.

  

MassGrad Implementation Grant - Scoring Rubric

  

MassGrad Planning Grant - Scoring Rubric

  

MassGrad technical assistance webinar slides (January 2011)

  

MassGrad Q&A from the technical assistance webinars

  

MassGrad RFP Packet – Background Information

  

MassGrad Implementation Grant – Required Project Information

  

  

  

  

College & Career Readiness and Learning Support Services Units

There are no state funds currently available for general dropout reduction use, however, the Department's College & Career Readiness and Learning Support Services Units coordinate a number of grant programs that support student engagement and success in partnership with districts, community colleges, and other organizations to help students succeed in school and be prepared for higher education, rewarding employment, and responsible citizenship. All of these programs can be a useful part of a district's comprehensive strategy to raise graduation rates and students' readiness for college and employment.

Dropout Prevention and Recovery Work Group

In summer 2008, the Department created a Dropout Prevention and Recovery Work Group, which 17 urban districts volunteered to be part of in partnership with the Department - the Office of Urban and Commissioner's Districts and the Office of Secondary School Services - and the New England Comprehensive Center. Students dropping out of these 17 districts account for nearly half of the Commonwealth's annual dropouts. The purpose of this Work Group is intended to facilitate sharing of promising practices among districts and support for district team action planning activities.

The participating districts are Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester.

Early Warning Indicator Index

The Early Warning Indicator Index (EWII) assigns students who were enrolled in eighth grade at the end of the 2009-2010 school year one of five risk levels (Very High Risk, High Risk, Borderline, At Risk, or Low Risk) based on their grade 8 MCAS results, grade 8 attendance rate, age as of September 1, 2010, and number of in- and out-of-school suspensions in the 2009-2010 school year. The EWII can be used by the district as a starting point for identifying and supporting students who may be at risk of not graduating on time from high school.

Detailed rosters for these students-the majority of whom are likely to be high school freshmen in the district in the 2010-2011 school year-are provided to all districts in a Microsoft Excel workbook via its Accountability 2010 Drop Box in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (ESE's) online Security Portal. A tool that automatically calculates risk levels for students who are not listed on the roster-the "EWII Risk Calculator"-is also provided.

Research is clear that a variety of factors contribute to a student's likelihood of not graduating on time. Because the EWII risk levels are calculated using statewide data, the district should also use local data to identify and support students, including, but not limited to, information on course grades, course completion rates, and freshman year attendance rates.

  

EWII Guidance and General Information

  

EWII Risk Calculator

Graduation and Dropout Prevention and Recovery Commission

In August 2008 the Massachusetts State Legislature passed An Act to Improve Dropout Prevention and Reporting of Graduation Rates, which established a Commission to make recommendation on 10 topic areas. The Commission included representatives from a variety of youth-serving state agencies, the state legislature, and community organizations. The Commission work was also shaped by testimony at three public hearings. The Executive Office of Education released the final Commission report in October 2009. The Commission report, Making the Connection , provides findings and recommendations in four main areas: 1) new statewide expectations; 2) early identification; 3) effective prevention, interventions, and recovery; and 4) responsive reforms and budget priorities.

Strengthening the Field of Alternative Education

Alternative Education pathways to high school graduation are universally acknowledged pillars of a viable and effective response to the dropout crisis The Department is working to enhance the field of Alternative Education across the Commonwealth through annual trainings, including regional networking events and state conferences. The Department recently released an Alternative Education frequently asked questions and promising practices document, and continues to work toward increased sharing of promising practices across the state.

In the 2007-08 school year, the Department added an Alternative Education data element to Student Information Management System (SIMS) to increase knowledge about Alternative Education in Massachusetts through new methods. The increased capacity in SIMS will provide the Department important student-level information within each Alternative Education program/school. The Department will also use these data to increase targeted technical assistance and to promote and replicate promising practices in the Commonwealth.

Online Courses and Modules for At-Risk Students

The purpose of this federal grant program is to improve at-risk student achievement through the effective use of online learning in secondary schools. It is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Title II-D (Fund Code 776). Due to the historic opportunity, funding in this program has been invested in projects that include sustainable and continuing commitments after the funding expires. The overarching purpose of this project is to contribute to a statewide system of online learning options for all students, and courses and materials created through this project will be shared with the Department for ongoing use. These grants target projects that work collaboratively with the Department to create, implement, and evaluate online courses/modules for underserved high school students in alternative education, credit recovery, or credit acceleration programs.